Automatic tire pressurizing system and method

Abstract

A system is disclosed included but not limited to a wheel having a wheel pressure chamber; a tire having a tire pressure chamber, wherein the tire is mounted on the wheel; a tire pressure sensor inside of the tire pressure chamber for measuring a tire air pressure inside of the tire pressure chamber; a wheel outlet valve between the wheel pressure chamber and the tire pressure chamber; a processor that reads a measure of the pressure inside of the tire pressure chamber from the tire pressure sensor and controls the wheel outlet valve to allow gas from the wheel pressure chamber to flow into the tire pressure chamber to increase the pressure in the tire pressure chamber when the tire pressure is less than a reference tire pressure. A method is provided for using the system.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a vehicle comprising:
 a global positioning system; 
 a plurality of wheels each having a wheel pressure chamber; 
 a plurality of tires each having a tire pressure chamber, wherein the tire is mounted on the wheel; 
 a tire pressure sensor inside of the tire pressure chamber for measuring a tire air pressure inside of the tire pressure chamber; 
 a wheel outlet valve between the wheel pressure chamber and the tire pressure chamber; 
 a processor that reads a measure of the tire air pressure from the tire pressure sensor and controls the wheel outlet valve to allow air from the wheel pressure chamber to flow into the tire pressure chamber to increase the pressure in the tire pressure chamber when the tire air pressure is less than a reference tire pressure; and 
 a computer readable medium containing a computer program comprising instructions executed by the processor, 
 wherein as the vehicle travels on a race track, the processor adjusts the tire pressure based on a current position value for a current position of the vehicle on the race track, wherein the processor executes the computer program and monitors tire air pressure, temperature, inclination and speed of the vehicle to establish reference values for tire air pressure and dynamically controls the tire air pressure during a race, the computer program further comprising instructions for determining a curve in the race track and instructions to dynamically lower the tire air pressure on the curve to act as a braking mechanism to slow the vehicle in the curve, based on historical values stored in a historical data base formed by monitoring the tire air pressure, speed of rotation and track inclination, wherein the tire air pressure of at least one tire on a side of the vehicle nearest the outside of the track is lowered to provide braking during a high-speed turn. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: a tire outlet valve, wherein the processor reads a measure of the tire air pressure from the tire pressure sensor and controls the wheel outlet valve to allow air from the tire pressure chamber to flow out of the tire pressure chamber to decrease the tire air pressure in the tire pressure chamber when the tire air pressure is greater than a reference tire air pressure. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: the vehicle having four wheels on which are mounted four tires; and an inclinometer mounted on the vehicle, wherein the processor adjusts the tire air pressure based on an inclination value for a current position of the vehicle on the race track. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a track temperature sensor mounted on the vehicle, wherein the processor adjusts the tire air pressure based on a race track temperature value for a current position of the vehicle on the race track. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a fuel tank level sensor mounted on the vehicle to determine fuel weight, wherein the processor adjusts the tire air pressure in the plurality of tires based on a fuel tank weight value from the fuel tank weight sensor for a current position of the vehicle on the race track, wherein the system is provided on each of four wheels. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor monitors tire air pressure, temperature, inclination and speed for the vehicle to establish reference values for tire air pressure, wherein the processor dynamically controls the tire air pressure in the plurality of tires during a race. 
     
     
       7. A method comprising:
 reading on a processor a tire air pressure value from a tire air pressure sensor inside of a tire pressure chamber, wherein a wheel having a wheel pressure chamber has mounted thereon a tire containing the tire pressure chamber; 
 controlling on the processor a wheel outlet valve between the wheel pressure chamber and the tire pressure chamber to allow air in the wheel pressure chamber to flow into the tire pressure chamber when the tire air pressure is below a reference tire air pressure; 
 reading on the processor a measure of the tire air pressure from the tire air pressure sensor; 
 controlling on the processor the wheel outlet valve to allow air from the wheel pressure chamber to flow into the tire pressure chamber to increase the tire air pressure in the tire pressure chamber when the tire air pressure is less than the reference tire air pressure; 
 dynamically controlling the tire air pressure in a vehicle having four wheels on a race track; 
 determining a curve in the race track; 
 dynamically lowering the tire air pressure on the curve to slow the vehicle in a curve and act as a braking mechanism, based on historical values stored in a historical data base monitoring of the tire air pressure, speed of wheel rotation and track inclination, wherein the tire air pressure inside of two tires on a side of the vehicle nearest the outside of the track is lowered to provide braking during a high-speed turn. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: controlling on the processor a tire pressure outlet valve, wherein the processor reads a measure of the tire air pressure from the tire air pressure sensor and controls the wheel outlet valve to allow air from the tire pressure chamber to flow out of the tire pressure chamber to decrease the tire air pressure in the tire pressure chamber when the tire air pressure is greater than a reference tire air pressure. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 measuring by the wheel processor an inclinometer value for a current position of the vehicle on the race track; and 
 adjusting by the wheel processor the tire air pressure based on an inclination value for a current position of the vehicle on the race track. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 the processor receiving, from a track temperature sensor mounted on the vehicle, a race track temperature value for a current position of the vehicle on the race track; and 
 adjusting by the processor automatically the tire air pressure based on the race track temperature value for the current position of the vehicle on the race track. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 measuring by the processor a fuel tank weight sensor mounted on the vehicle; and 
 adjusting by the processor the tire air pressure based on a fuel tank weight value from the fuel tank weight sensor for a current position of the vehicle on the race track. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 measuring by the processor a current fuel tank weight value for a current position of the vehicle on the race track; and 
 adjusting by the processor the tire air pressure value based on the fuel tank weight value for the current position of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 measuring by the processor an inclinometer value for a current position of the vehicle on the race track; 
 measuring by the processor a race track temperature value for the race track on which the vehicle travels; 
 measuring by the processor a fuel tank weight value for the vehicle; and 
 adjusting by the processor the tire air pressure based on the inclinometer value for the current position of the vehicle on the race track dynamically. 
 
     
     
       14. A system comprising:
 a wheel controller comprising a processor in data communication with a computer readable medium for inputting and outputting data between the processor and the computer readable medium; 
 a computer program comprising instructions that are executed by the processor the computer program comprising: 
 instructions to read a measure of tire air pressure from a tire pressure sensor; 
 instructions to control a wheel outlet valve between a wheel pressure chamber and a tire pressure chamber to allow air in the wheel pressure chamber to flow into the tire pressure chamber to increase the tire air pressure in the tire pressure chamber when the tire air pressure is below a reference tire air pressure; and 
 instructions to determine a curve in a race track and instructions to dynamically lower the tire air pressure on the curve to slow a race car in the curve and act as a braking mechanism, based on historical values stored in a historical data base formed by monitoring tire air pressure, speed of wheel rotation and track inclination, wherein the tire air pressure inside of two tires on a side of the race car nearest the outside of the track is lowered to provide braking during a high-speed turn during a race. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , the computer program further comprising:
 instructions to control a tire pressure outlet valve, wherein the processor reads a measure of the tire air pressure from the tire pressure sensor and controls the wheel outlet valve to allow air from the tire pressure chamber to flow out of the tire pressure chamber to decrease the tire air pressure in the tire pressure chamber when the tire air pressure is greater than a reference tire air pressure. 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 14 , the computer program further comprising:
 instructions to measure an inclinometer value for a current position of the race car on the race track, wherein the wheel controller adjusts the tire air pressure based on the inclinometer value for the current position of the race car on the race track. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 14 , the computer program further comprising:
 instructions to measure a race track temperature value for a current position of the race car on the race track from a track temperature sensor mounted on the race car; 
 instructions to adjust automatically from the wheel controller the tire air pressure based on the race track temperature value for a current position of the race car on the race track. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 14 , the computer program further comprising:
 instructions to measure a fuel tank weight sensor mounted on the race car; and 
 instructions to adjust the tire air pressure based on a fuel tank weight value from the fuel tank weight sensor for a current position of the race car on the race track. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 14 , the computer program further comprising:
 instructions to measure a current fuel tank weight value for a current position of the race car on the race track; and 
 instructions to adjust the tire air pressure value based on the fuel tank weight value for the current position of the race car. 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 14 , the computer program further comprising:
 instructions to measure an inclinometer value for a current position of the race car on the race track; 
 instructions to measure a race track temperature value for the race track on which the race car travels; 
 instructions to measure a fuel tank weight value for the race car; and 
 instructions to adjust the tire air pressure dynamically during a race, based on the race track temperature, inclinometer value for the current position of the race car, and the fuel tank weight.